Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00391)

************Quote # 5 SD Vol I, pg 571***********
Atma (our seventh principle) being identical with the universal Spirit, and
man being one with it in his essence, what is then the Monad proper? It is
that homogeneous spark which radiates in millions of rays from the primeval
"Seven;" -- of which seven further on. It is the EMANATING spark from the
UNCREATED Ray -- a mystery. In the esoteric, and even exoteric Buddhism of
the North, Adi Buddha (Chogi dangpoi sangye), the One unknown, without
beginning or end, identical with Parabrahm and Ain-Soph, emits a bright ray
from its darkness.
*************************************

PETER comments: The above passage states that Atma is IDENTICAL with the
Universal Spirit - it is our essence. This makes sense as it is the essence
of everything, there being no difference between the Atman in a piece of
rock a human being and a Dhyani Buddha. The Universal Spirit (the ONE LIFE)
is in all. See HPB's suggestive passages in the Collected writings:

"The Great Breath of the Secret Doctrine is ATMAN, the etymology of which is
“eternal motion”. (ES Instruction No 3)

"Atman, Spirit is the ONE LIFE or motion." CW XII 356

Geofrey Barborka in his "The Divine Plan" shows HPB stating ATMAN to be the
Monadic Essence and the Monad proper to be Atma-Buddhi. This would make
Atma-Buddhi the homogenous spark which radiates in millions of rays from the
7 Dhyani Buddhas. There is a sense in this as "homogeneity" (ie the
sameness of parts) would be more a quality of Buddhi than ATMAN. Buddhi
being spiritualised substance (matter) while ATMAN is the formless ONE LIFE,
or Universal Spirit. If we recall, it is the Divine Soul (Buddhi, or more
strictly the human monad, Atma-Buddhi) which is referred to as a SPARK of
the Universal Oversoul (Universal Sixth Principle). This from the 3rd
Fundamental Proposition. The human Monad (Atma-Buddhi) is also referred to
"as the spark which hangs from the Flame."

The difference in degree between the Monad travelling through the vegetable
kingdom and that of an Adept or Dhyani would be the 'differentiation'
brought about in Buddhi as a result of Manas, and not any difference between
the so called seventh principle, ATMAN. See previous post on Buddhi
assimilating its own waters through Manas.

With reference to the primeval "Seven", it is worth keeping in mind that
these are not seven 'entities' but seven hierarchies. The Monad,
Atma-Buddhi, having a particular affinity with one or another of these
hierarchies - this being related to the doctrine of the seven rays. 'The
One which is the Many' is something we are reminded of throughout the
Secret Doctrine and other of HPB's works and the Mahatma Letters. For
example, ISWARA (and/or the Demiurgos) is also a collective host not a
single entity. The same goes for the "Silent Watcher" of each globe or
Round. At the highest level we have the FLAME and its sparks.


************Quote # 6 SD Vol I, pg 571***********
This is the Logos (the first), or Vajradhara, the Supreme Buddha (also
called Dorjechang). As the Lord of all Mysteries he cannot manifest, but
sends into the world of manifestation his heart -- the "diamond heart,"
Vajrasattva (Dorjesempa). This is the second logos of creation, from whom
emanate the seven (in the exoteric blind the five) Dhyani Buddhas, called
the Anupadaka, "the parentless." These Buddhas are the primeval monads from
the world of incorporeal being, the Arupa world, wherein the Intelligences
(on that plane only) have neither shape nor name, in the exoteric system,
but have their distinct seven names in esoteric philosophy. These Dhyani
Buddhas emanate, or create from themselves, by virtue of Dhyana, celestial
Selves -- the super-human Bodhisattvas. These incarnating at the beginning
of every human cycle on earth as mortal men, become occasionally, owing to
their personal merit, Bodhisattvas among the Sons of Humanity, after which
they may re-appear as Manushi (human) Buddhas. The Anupadaka (or
Dhyani-Buddhas) are thus identical with the Brahminical Manasaputra,
"mind-born sons" -- whether of Brahma or either of the other two Trimurtian
Hypostases, hence identical also with the Rishis and Prajapatis. Thus, a
passage is found in Anugita, which, read esoterically, shows plainly, though
under another imagery, the same idea and system. It says: "Whatever entities
there are in this world, moveable or immoveable, they are the very first to
be dissolved (at pralaya); and next the developments produced from the
elements (from which the visible Universe is fashioned); and, after these
developments (evolved entities), all the elements. Such is the upperward
gradation among entities. Gods, Men, Gandharvas, Pisachas, Asuras,
Rakshasas, all have been created by Svabhava (Prakriti, or plastic nature),
not by actions, nor by a cause" -- i.e., not by any physical cause.
*************************

JERRY: In Vajrayana, Vajradhara is considered the first Buddha, the
Dharmakaya Buddha, from which all wisdom flows. He is considered to be the
Supreme Buddha indeed, supreme in this solar system anyway. Vajradhara is
said to have taught the inner teachings of Mahamudra to the great sage
Tilopa, and this led eventually to the formation of the Kagu school of
Tibetan Buddhism.
===========================

PETER comments: I have never heard Buddhists limit or relate Vajradhara to
this Solar system. I'd be interested to hear more of this.

If we combine HPB's qoutes 5 and 6 she gives:

* Adi-Buddha - Parabrahm

* Vajradhara - first unmanifested Logos. (traditionally Vajradhara, or
Samamtabhadra, is the same as Adi-Buddha) The Dharma-kaya.

* Vajrasattva as second Logos. "The Diamond Heart". The Seven Dhyani
Buddhas. The Sambhoga-kaya.

* Celestial Bodhisattvas. Which incarnate at the beginning of every human
cycle as men... and which may reappear as human Buddhas. I would tentatively
link these to the Nirmana-kaya.

One reason for suggesting the Celestial Bodhisattvas belong to the 3rd Kaya
(ie Nirmanakaya) is that HPB makes the link in her passage above between the
Dhyani Buddhas and the Hindu Manasaputras. The latter being the
Agnishwattas, Sons of the Flame (Fire Dhyanis) who incarnate in the third
Root Race to awaken Mind, Manas, in humanity. These are referred to as the
"Heart" of the Dhyan Chohanic body (SD II 91), so we can see the link with
"Diamond Heart" (Vajrasattva), above. From among this group of Dhyanis who
incarnate in humanity we are told a portion of them are Nirmanakayas from
previous Manvantaras who sacrifice themselves by incarnating into humanity
for the salvation of less developed Monads.

Judith Tyberg and others suggest a further view, ie that Adi-Buddha,
Vajradhara, Vajratsattva & so on can also correspond to those Dhyani Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas who overshadow the planetary chain, the round, the globe,
the race respectively. This would make them equivalent to the Manus of the
Hindu system, and link them to those Dhyanis which set the spiritual keynote
at the beginning of each major cycle and then withdraw.

************Quote # 7 SD Vol I, pg 572************
"These Brahmanas (the Rishi Prajapati?), the creators of the world, are born
here (on earth) again and again. Whatever is produced from them is dissolved
in due time in those very five great elements (the five, or rather seven,
Dhyani Buddhas, also called "Elements" of Mankind), like billows in the
ocean. These great elements are in every way beyond the elements that make
up the world (the gross elements). And he who is released even from these
five elements (the tanmatras)* goes to the highest goal." "The Lord
Prajapati (Brahma) created all this by the mind only," i.e., by Dhyana, or
abstract meditation and mystic powers like the Dhyani Buddhas (vide supra).
Evidently then, these "Brahmanas" are identical with the Bodhisattvas (the
terrestrial) of the heavenly Dhyani Buddhas. Both, as primordial,
intelligent "Elements," become the creators or the emanators of the monads
destined to become human in that cycle; after which they evolve themselves,
or, so to say, expand into their own selves as Bodhisattvas or Brahmanas, in
heaven and earth, to become at last simple men --"the creators of the world
are born here, on earth again and again" -- truly. In the Northern Buddhist
system, or the popular exoteric religion, it is taught that every Buddha,
while preaching the good law on earth, manifests himself simultaneously in
three worlds: in the formless, as Dhyani Buddha, in the World of forms, as a
Bodhisattva, and in the world of desire, the lowest (or our world) as a man.
Esoterically the teaching differs: The divine, purely Adi-Buddhic monad
manifests as the universal Buddhi (the Maha-buddhi or Mahat in Hindu
philosophies) the spiritual, omniscient and omnipotent root of divine
intelligence, the highest anima mundi or the Logos. This descends "like a
flame spreading from the eternal Fire, immoveable, without increase or
decrease, ever the same to the end" of the cycle of existence, and becomes
universal life on the Mundane Plane. From this Plane of conscious Life shoot
out, like seven fiery tongues, the Sons of Light (the logoi of Life); then
the Dhyani-Buddhas of contemplation: the concrete forms of their formless
Fathers -- the Seven Sons of Light, still themselves, to whom may be applied
the Brahmanical mystic phrase: "Thou art 'THAT' -- Brahm." It is from these
Dhyani-Buddhas that emanate their chhayas (Shadows) the Bodhisattvas of the
celestial realms, the prototypes of the super-terrestrial Bodhisattvas, and
of the terrestrial Buddhas, and finally of men. The "Seven Sons of Light"
are also called "Stars."
*************************

JERRY: This is a long and difficult paragraph, mixing up both Hinduism and
Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that creation is due to karma, period. I have
also never seen this definition of the bodhisattva. Buddhism teaches that
the bodhisattva is simply a human being treading a spiritual Path that leads
to buddhahood.
=======================

PETER comments: Agreed it is a difficult paragraph!! See my previous
comments. The Prajapati are the collective hosts of creators of which there
are seven kinds, which include the Agnishwattas (Solar Pitris), the
Barhishads (Lunar Pitris) all of which contributed to the make up of the
sevenfold human being, planetary chain, rounds and globes. In the previous
section we saw how, among other things, links were being drawn between these
and the hierarchy of spiritual beings in the Buddhist system.


...Peter